Dispenser for masking tabs



June 22, 1965 R. L. COMET DISPENSER FOR MASKING TABS Filed May 1, 1962 INVENTOR. ALPH L. ome-r United States Patent DISPENSER FOR MASKING TABS Ralph L. Comet, 14-1B Lloyd Court, Nutley, NJ. Filed May 1, 1962, Ser. No. 191,558 2 Claims. (Cl. 156-584) This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing adhesive tabs, and more particularly to an improved dispensing assembly for die cut masking tabs adapted to be employed for use as protective coverings for products or parts of products during fabrication, handling, repair, storage or shipment, and during operations such as paint spraying, flow coating, dipping, brushing, anodizing and plating, machining, sandblasting, tumbling, and similar operations wherein limited areas must be protected against damage or marring.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved masking tab dispensing assembly which is relatively simple, which involves easily fabricated components, and which enables the masking tabs to be easily removed when their use is required.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved masking tab dispensing assembly which involves very inexpensive components, which enables the masking tabs to be safely handled prior to their use, and which renders the tabs readily available for use by very simple manual operations.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved masking tab supporting unit which may be employed to support a plurality of masking tabs during transportation or storage and which is arranged so that the tabs may be readily removed therefrom when their use is required.

Further objects and .advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a typical masking tab dispensing assembly according to the present invention shown with the masking tab supporting unit in a position elevated above the tab-removing base member in a position to be lowered thereover for the removal of the masking tabs from the tab supporting body.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the elements of FIGURE 1 with the tab supporting body in lowered position with the masking tabs removed therefrom and. supported on the top ends of the mandrel rods of the base member of the assembly.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 3--3 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of .a portion of a masking tab dispensing unit carrying masking tabs of different shapes from the tabs shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a masking tab dispensing unit according to the present invention, carrying masking tabs of different shapes from those shown in FIGURES 1 and 4.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates a masking tab dispensing assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention. The assembly comprises a flat supporting body 12 which may be of strip form, namely, may comprise a flat elongated, generally rectangular body of any suitable material having a smooth top surface. The body 12 is formed with a plurality of 1ongitudinally spaced apertures 13, and disposed on the body overlying and covering said apertures are the respective die-cut masking tabs 14, said tabs comprising pieces of flexible sheet material of suitable shape, in accordance with the areas to be covered, said pieces being provided on their bottom surfaces with coatings of tacky adhesive material 15. Thus, the adhesive material 15 is in adherent contact with the top surface of the body 12 adjacent 3,195,785 Patented June 22, 1965 to and around the apertures 13, thus retaining the tabs 14 on the body 12 so that said body may be employed as a convenient means for transporting or storing the tabs. The body 12 may be formed of any suitable rigid or flexible material, such as wood, plastic, metal, cardboard, or the like.

Designated at 16 is a base member provided with a plurality of upstanding mandrel rods 17 which are spaced longitudinally with the same spacings as the apertures 13 so that said mandrel rods will register with said apertures and will ,be engageable from below through the apertures to disengage the tabs 14 from the supporting body 12. Thus, the upstanding rods 17 may comprise cylindrical elements formed with reduced bottom ends 18 which are rigidly secured in correspondingly shaped cylindrical recesses 19 formed in the elongated rigid bar 16, as shown in FIGURE 3. The rods 17 are of equal length, so that their top ends are located in the same horizontal plane.

In using the dispensing assembly, the supporting member 12 carrying tabs 14 of the desired shape is positioned over and parallel to the base member 16 with the rods 17 in alignment with the apertures 13. The body 12 is then moved downwardly to cause the rods 17 to engage through the apertures 13 and thus engage the tabs .14 from below, whereby continued downward movement of the body 12 disengages the tabs 14 from the supporting member 12 and leaves the tabs adherently secured to the top ends of the rods 17, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 2. With the tabs thus disposed, said tabs are easily removable from the top ends of the rods 17 for application to the areas on the items which they are intended to protect.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the tabs, designated at 20, may be of square shape, and as shown in FIGURE 5, the tabs, designated at 21 may be of keyhole shape. Obviously, the tabs may be of any desired shape, depending upon the shape of the area to be protected thereby.

The adhesive material 15 is of conventional composition, and the same as has been heretofore employed on protective tabs for use in covering limited areas of items to protect said areas during processing operations, such as paint spraying, dipping, anodizing and plating, or the like.

The rods 17 are preferably relatively small in diameter as compared with the dimensions of the tabs, so that substantial portions of the tabs will be exposed when the tabs are engaged on the top ends of the rods, as shown in FIG- URE 2, so that the tabs may be easily grasped for removal.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved masking ta-b dispensing assembly have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A masking tab dispensing assembly comprising in combination:

(a) an elongated fiat supporting body formed with longitudinally-spaced apertures,

(b) tacky adhesive-coated masking tabs detachably engaged on said body overlying and closing the respective apertures,

(c) and an elongated tab-removing and holding base member provided with upstanding rods spaced to register with said apertures,

(d) said rods being engageable through the apertures to disengage the tabs from said supporting body when the supporting body is moved downwardly over the bar and rods, and retain said tabs adhesively on the top ends of the rods in positions for easy removal.

2. A masking tab dispensing assembly comprising:

(a) a flat supporting body formed with a plurality of spaced apertures extending from one face to the other face thereof,

(b) a plurality of maskingtabs disposed on one face of said body and each overlying and closing one end of a respective one of said apertures,

(c) said tabs being provided on their bottom surfaces with a coating of tacky adhesive material having the portion adjacent the edges in adherent contact with the portion of said one face of said body surrounding said apertures and the central portion of said tabs overlying said apertures exposed,

(d) and a tab-removing and holding base member provided with a plurality of upstanding rods spaced to 5 register with said apertures,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/33 -M01'se 16l-406 8/62 Hurlburt 156584 EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner. 

